Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Go, Pokemon Go!

I did not grow up playing Pokemon. I remember hearing something about the game and cartoons, and had a vague awareness of something called Pikachu, but that was the extent of it.

But I work at a company full of millennials and engineers, so when Pokemon Go came out, there was a lot of excitement.

It also coincided with my purchase of my very first (!) smartphone. Yes, I had an LG flip phone for nearly 10 years, and it served me very well. I stuck with it in part to throttle my screen time, since I'm online at work all day.

Finally, none of the services I used regularly would support it anymore. Couldn't post to Facebook, couldn't get addresses from Google via text. So I bit the bullet and got an iPhone SE, which is like an iPhone 6 in the body of a 5. Small but mighty.

So I thought I'd check out this Pokemon Go game with my new phone. And was immediately hooked. As I mentioned earlier, I walk a half-mile to the train in the morning, and home again at night. I walk through a little business district that comes complete with 10 Pokestops and three Pokemon gyms. Plus Pokestops at all the train stations on the way to work, and lots more downtown. The game makes my commute more entertaining. It scratches my itch to put things in order, to categorize and complete.

I completed my U.S. Pokedex in October, with a rare Dragonite. Thanks to a local Pokemon Facebook group, I knew where to look for it.

Since then, I've focused mainly on leveling up. I should hit Level 35 in the next few days, which is decently advanced. I'm looking forward to the next release of Pokemon characters to catch.

Meanwhile, all this walking has helped me lose 10 pounds and get in better shape. I go out and walk at lunchtime, and do a quick lap around the neighborhood when I need a break. The Sergeant has been on a diet, so we're eating dinner at home more, and that has helped, too.

I haven't really encountered any negative attitudes about my obsession. People think it's a little funny, but it keeps me entertained. And it keeps me walking, so yay, Pokemon!